She led the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies to four national championships, was named the Final Four's most outstanding player a record four times, and was a three-time consensus national player of the year. The 68 center for the Los Angeles Sparks has been selected to the All-Star team three times. Diana Taurasi - 228.094 dollars. The LA Sparks, who lost superstars Parker and Gray in the offseason, will pay Kristi Toliver andWNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike max salaries of $190,550 each this year. This means that not only is the average WNBA salary lower than it should be, the top tier female athletes are underpaid! Im ready to have next summer off and focus on getting a European contract where [its] 10 seasons here worth the pay. Bates has 501,000 followers across all social media. So she now rakes in almost $100,000 more than that. No matter what is the sport, there is always a pay gap between the mens and womens event. At TheDataJocks, though, we take a starkly different perspective. In February 2020, Bonner was signed and traded to the Connecticut Sun, making her eligible for supermax earnings there. And has never come off the bench! Even just a small increase in income in the WNBA revenue will lead to more equitable salaries for these players who are the best of the best. DeWanna Bonner comes fourth at $227,900. This will lead to an increase in the average WNBA salary. There is a significant appetite for professional womens sports. Drew Timme is a star forward for the Gonzaga Bulldogs mens basketball team, who has an NIL value of $912,000.He is in his senior season at Gonzaga, and has had quite the career with the Bulldogs. After being drafted as the #1 pick in 2016, Stewie swept the WNBA Regular Season MVP and WNBA Finals MVP. So that she wouldnt get injured and not be able to play for UMMC. However, we think the discrepancy is larger than it should be based on viewership and appetite for womens professional sports. The highest-paid NBA players by season has recently eclipsed $40 million.Larry Bird was the first player to earn $5 million or more with a salary of $7,070,000 in the 1991-92 season. DeWanna Bonner spent 10 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, and in that time, she became one of the WNBA's superstars. Hammon was an assistant coach for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs for eight seasons before making the leap to become a head coach in the WNBA. A multi-year deal means big bucks and a big bet, so lets add in another $1 million for her sponsorship. Tiffany Hayes ($215,000) is the highest-paid player for the Atlanta Dream for the second consecutive year. WWE Wrestlers Who Served In Military | How It Impact Their Careers In Wrestling? The NBA salary cap is the maximum dollar amount each NBA team can spend on its players for the season. Another option for teams would be to assign players to a league-assigned minimum salary contract for a maximum of two years. The lowest-paid player in the WNBA is Mercurys. DeWanna Bonner, Elena Delle Donne and Skylar Diggins-Smith aren't far behind. Perhaps more importantly, the WNBA now has bona fide superstars to push its popularity. Therefore in the last section when we compared the average WNBA salary to the average NBA salary, we were comparing the salaries of the top 144 womens players to the salaries of the top 360 mens players. Stephen Curry of Golden State Warriors is currently the highest paid NBA player for 2021-22 NBA season, earning around $45.7 million U.S while Lebron James, on the 4th rank earning around $41.1 dollars for 2021-22 NBA season. The two-time champion is leaving the Seattle Storm after six seasons to play for the New York Liberty. How much a WNBA rookies makes depends on where she was drafted. As are the Washington Mystics small forwardElena Delle Donne and Connecticut Sun guardDeWanna Bonner. It isnt a surprise nor is it controversial that mens professional sports draw more attention and revenue and therefore the players are paid more. Breanna signed a multi-year deal with Nike in 2016. @megsterr. And they might feel threatened to share their salary information with peers who they feel they are competing for dollars with. Brittney Griners ongoing detention is Russia, This is a great book detailing the history of professional Womens basketball, The Highest WNBA salary is $228,000 while in the NBA its over $45 million. Now, because the average WNBA player makes 56 times as much as NBA players, the pay gap becomes clearer. She has 763,000 followers across all platforms, including 673,000 on Instagram.Van Lith has endorsement deals with Adidas, 94 Feet of Game App, Billionaire Girls Club, Dicks Sporting Goods, and The Shaquille ONeal Foundation. Hansel Enmanuel is the highest-earning college basketball player with an NIL value of $1.5 million.Enmanuel, who was born with no left arm, is from the Dominican Republic and attends Northwestern State University.He amassed 1.6 million Instagram followers, and 2.7 million TikTok followers, much from his high school basketball highlight videos going viral.Fans across the world were inspired by Enmanuels story as well as his ridiculous athletic ability. WNBA Highest Paid Players in 2021 Sue Bird (Seattle Storm) - $221,450 Sue Bird is one of the most recognizable names in basketball and a WNBA staple for nearly two decades. 2023 WNBA free agency is here, the regular season is fast approaching, and our staff of writers is working hard to bring you everything you need to know about every team in the league. The base salary for WNBA rookies varies on when (or if) players were selected in the WNBA Draft. Where shell make another $100,000 for training in the United States during the WNBA off-season. The professional game is of an indisputably higher quality than the college game. The 24-year-old guard made her first All-Star team last year after averaging 15.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists. During her enviable pro career thus far, Brittney has been a 6-time WNBA All-Star. [5] Finally, the rookie player exception allows any NBA team to sign their first-round draft pick to a contract based upon a scale previously set forth by the NBA. 20 Highest Paid WNBA Players 1. Seems like the top spots are dominated by the Connecticut Suns and Seattle Storm huh? Rookie Road may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. And made her mark immediately overseas by winning the Euroleague MVP award. And its easy to see that theres a good chance Candace made close to $1.5 million dollars during her overseas reign. Breanna Stewart - 228.094 dollars. WNBA Salary Rankings | Spotrac WNBA Salary Rankings Listing the top salaries, cap hits, cash, earnings, contracts, and bonuses, for all active WNBA players. Not only did she win regular season MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, but her team won the Commissioners Cup and the WNBA Finals. Considering Liz was making $117,500 in that year, a quick calculation tells us that her overseas contracts have been close to $1 million dollars a year. Jalen Wilson is a forward for the Kansas University Jayhawks mens basketball team, who has an NIL value of $914,000.Wilson has been a star for the Jayhawks, averaging 11.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in his freshman season. But the reality is, the more brands that pump money into womens sports, the more the sport is going to thrive. Net Worth: $400,000 WNBA Team: Phoenix Mercury Position: Point Guard Height: 5 ft. 9 in (1.75 m) Weight: 145 lbs. And Diana and Sue Bird were instrumental in seeing to it that members of Team USA were paid decent wages for their training. Candace Parker is the first big name to join a new team in free agency. The lowest-paid player in the WNBA is Mercurys Kaela Davis. t-1. The second highest earner on the Aces is two-time league MVP A'ja Wilson. Leagues in their infancy need time to expand, find their audience, and exploit their revenue streams. Which added $5,150 to her earnings. No matter how you slice it, the pay gap in the WNBA versus the NBA is remarkable. With new coaches, a stacked rookie class, and an abundance of superstars across the league's 12 teams, the WNBA's 26th season is poised to be one of the most exciting yet. Shes racked up quite a resume. Shes a 7-time blocks leader, and has won a championship with her team, the Phoenix Mercury. Liz Cambage has played in China, where, way back in 2012, she reportedly netted $297,100 ($400,000 Australian dollars) for her overseas stint. In 2017 she was inducted into the Women Basketball Hall of Fame. Michael Jordan was the first NBA player to sign a contract worth over $20 million and in fact it exceeded $30 million as well in a season (1996-97) and (1997-98) where he earned $33,140,000; this was a record he had held for 20 years. In fact, Deloitte predicts elite womens sport revenues could top almost a billion dollars next year. As of 2022, the league average of salaries in the WNBA is $102,751 among 151 athletes. And to top it off, shes earned four Olympic gold medals which makes it easy to say that, as a basketball player, shes earned her weight in gold. Jackie Young of the Aces has an average annual salary of $252,450 and is currently the WNBA's highest-paid player in 2023. However, in order to help the Storm retain key talent in 2022, Sue took at pay cut down to a mere $72,141. A recent New York Times article talks about how Paige Bueckers is waiting to go pro because there is more money in college basketball than in womens professional basketball. With the 2021 WNBA season tipping off Friday, we took a look at the league's highest-paid players. Check out the highest-paid player on each WNBA team for the 2022 campaign below: Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Each had a salary of $228,094 for this season. [3] Another exception, known as the mid-level exception, allows for teams that are over the salary cap to sign one or more players as long as they do not exceed the total amount of the average NBA salary. As of now, the details of her contract have not been announced. As we dive into the salaries of WNBA players, however, the difference is stark. The 65 point guard is expected to be a future first round NBA Draft pick. Eight players, including Davis, have salaries less than $10,000. The average WNBA salary is $128,000 in the 2021 season. Given those achievements, it makes perfect sense that Skylar is paid top-dollar. The 27-year-old has the 151st-ranked salary in the league at $1,607. Who are the highest paid WNBA players in 2022? Clocking in roughly $228,094 for the year, Loyd is currently in the midst of bringing the Storm back to the WNBA mountaintop. She has also, Breanna Mackenzie Stewart (ne Baldwin; born August 27, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Brandon Figueroa vs Mark Magsayo Purse Payouts | How Much Both Fighters Will Earn from PPV Fight? Cavinder has endorsement deals with Under Armour, Raising Canes, Intuit TurboTax, and Victoria's Secret PINK. Plus, she was named to the 2020 All-WNBA First team, which added $10,300 in merit bonus cash to her wallet. Full list of highest paid players. A Quick History of WNBA Profitability. WNBA Highest Paid Players in 2020 DeWanna Bonner (Connecticut Sun) - $215,000. But we can assume its a good amount. As a five star recruit Bailey chose UCLA over a multitude of other schools. Shes made our list for all the other money shes raked in beyond being a WNBA rock star. Check out the highest-paid player on each WNBA team for the 2022 campaign below: Dallas Wings Moriah Jefferson ($180,200) Moriah Jefferson. The salary cap, which is regarded as a hard cap, stands at $1,339,000; this amount of money is distributed among 11 or 12 players on each of 12 rosters. In 2020, the leagues, Heres everything you need to know about salaries in the WNBA (all numbers via. Duke Blue Devils vs UNC Tar Heels College Basketball Rivalry. The Washington Mystics have promised her full salary despite the WNBA not awarding her a medical exemption for the season. And a 2021 championship with the Chicago Sky. Here are the top. But first, lets jump into the basics for this year. Because the WNBA is a smaller league, the 144 players on active WNBA rosters are the best 144 womens basketball players. One way to evaluate how well professional womens basketball players are paid is to look at how the WNBA salaries compare to the total income of the league. 7. Magic Johnson became the first player to earn $10 million or more in the 94-95 season with a salary of $14,660,000. They are Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd. In the NBA, the highest paid player this year is Steph Curry, making about $48 million. They are two All-Star-level talents that can turn whatever team they're on into a contender. In Dianas 17-year career, shes broken WNBA records and has attained a plethora of accolades including being a 3-time WNBA champion. But award money calculations are based off of 2020 results. She also has 4.2 million TikTok followers, making her one of the most followed collegiate athletes in the United States.Haley, like her sister, has endorsement deals with Under Armour, Raising Canes, Intuit TurboTax, and Victoria's Secret PINK. Larry Bird was the first player to earn $5 million or more with a salary of $7,070,000 in the 1991-92 season. Candace Parker Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images. Who is the highest paid WNBA player in the world right now? It's a large turn from Major League Baseball, where its top player, Max Scherzer makes roughly 10 times more than the. She has helped the Storm win two championships, with the most recent coming in the 2020 'wubble'. Sherly is third on the list of the highest paid WNBA players with 99,500$ per year. Now, compare the average WNBA salary (128,000) versus the average NBA salary (7.5 million). And famously sat out the WNBA 2015-2016 season. Data provided by HighPostHoops.com 2023 Average Rankings What are the richest contracts in WNBA history? Shes also won a championship with the Los Angeles Sparks, for whom she was the first-round pick in 2008. According to Spotrac, Jewell Loyd and Arike Ogunbowale are currently set to be the highest-paid WNBA players in the 2023 season, with each of them earning $234,936. Plus, she was named to the All-First Team so she gets $10,300. Hansel Enmanuel is the highest-earning college basketball player with an NIL value of $1.5 million. Hopefully Elena Delle Donne can return to 100% in the near future. A 12 team league cant possibly bring in the same revenue as a 30-team league. Who is the highest-paid WNBA player? Brittney signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Nike seven years ago in her rookie year. The total revenue for the WNBA is about $60 million while in the NBA it is about $7.6 billion. As they say, acandlelosesnothingbylighting another candle. She signed a two year $463,030 contract last offseason, giving her an annual salary of $231,515. We may earn some commission if you were to buy something via our affiliate links, Top 10 Most Selling Football Boots In The World | Nike Mercurial Vapor Tops The List As Used By Ronaldo, Mbappe & Neymar, Top 10 Most Expensive Injuries In Football, The Best Apps/Websites to Watch MF & DAZN X Series 005 Live Online | 5 March 2023, The Best Apps/Websites To Watch Jay Swingler vs Nicholai Perrett Live Online | 5 March 2023. Also in the top 10 richest contracts in WNBA history are Storm legend Sue Bird and Mercury star Brittney Griner. She is also signed for next season with UMMC. In her career, she has played exceptionally well and has generated enough revenue from contracts as well as merchandise sales. She pulls in almost $1 million per season abroad, which far outweighs her top-dollar WNBA salary. Wilson has signed NIL deals with Legacy Restaurant Group, MiniJerzeys, Charlie Hustle, Rally House, and Family Promise. In 2022, the highest paid WNBA players are Breanna Stewart, DeWanna Bonner, Jewell Loyd, Elena Delle Donne, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Brittney Griner, and Diana Taurasi. [1] LeBron James became the third in the 201617 season. However, the NBA uses a "soft" salary cap, which means that significant "salary exceptions" allow NBA teams to exceed their allotted amount in order to sign players. In high school, Stewart was the National Gatorade Player of the Year, the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year, and a McDonald's All-American. The average mens tournament game averaged 10.7 million viewers per game. The highest paid player this season is, you guessed itJewell Loyd. All-star guard Jewell Loyd became the highest paid WNBA player after resigning with the Seattle Storm before last season. The WNBA is a very new league, only having been founded in the late 1990s. Copyright 2017-2023 Rookie Road Inc. All rights reserved. However, some still manage to make 6 figures for their incredible performances. The American-Macedonian professional player is playing as a shooting guard for the Connecticut Sun in Womens National Basketball Association. uolas Tubelis is a Lithuanian-born player who currently plays for the Arizona Wildcats as a junior power forward and has an NIL value of $787,000.With 10,500 followers on Instagram, 31,000 on TikTok, and 1,100 on Twitter, he is currently part of the Arizona Assist Club.While he has no NIL deals currently, his growing value will likely ensure that he receives some prominent deals in the future. To get to the WNBAlevel,hoopersmust train relentlessly, compete at the highest level, andwin games. She's a sensational player. Ogunbowale's salary for the 2023 campaign is closest to Young's at $241,984. In 2022, Breanna Stewart will earn a base salary of$228,094. Liz Cambage also endorsed Wilson basketballs as of 2021. Also Who is the lowest paid WNBA player? Diana Lorena Taurasi (born June 11, 1982) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and UMMC Ekaterinburg of Russia. Jewell Loyd (born October 5, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Perfumerias Avenida of Spain's Liga Femenina de Baloncesto and the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). But if womens college basketball can come close to competing with mens college basketball during tournament time, the WNBA should be able to draw more eyes. In 2019, prior to the new CBA, she capped out at $117,500. Do the math (well take an average 2019 salary of WNBA players at nearly $75,000). Thats why, for office professionals for example, sites that provide pay transparency like Glassdoor have been so clutch in addressing pay gaps. She was drafted by Phoenix first overall in the 2004 WNBA draft. As of February, the title of the highest-paid WNBA player belongs to Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces. Stephen Curry became the first player to eclipse $40 million per year when he signed a record 5-year contract worth $201 million in 2017, starting with $34,682,550 in the 2017-18 season and ending with the largest earnings in the 2021-22 season with a record payout of $45,780,966, If his contract continues Curry is expected to be the first player to eclipse $50 million in the (2023-24) season. But currently, she plays in Russia for the UMMC Ekaterinburg team, where she continues to astound on the court. She is a player, many teams want to have in their books. The base max salary is $190,550. Another 11 players, seven of whom are the highest earners on their respective teams, will command $200,000 or more this year. A New Approach to Mathematical Sports Analytics. Valentina Shevchenko vs Alexa Grasso Purse Payouts | What Will be there share in UFC 285 Potential Bonus? Yahoo! The WNBA is on the precipice of a sharp inflection point where the total league revenue will explode and the average WNBA salary can finally increase to where it should be. But this line of logic is deeply flawed. Who Is The Most Famous Athlete In The World Right Now. Of course, athletes dont always see all their endorsement earnings in a single year, but weve included the guesstimated total amount for simplification. Parker was an All-Star at age 36 last year after posting averages of 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists across 32 games. Heres why: The WNBA is a 12 team league versus the NBA being a 30 team league. Who is the highest-paid player in the WNBA? Double trouble. Who is the highest-paid WNBA player in 2023? To the confusion of CBA novices, eighth-year players Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins-Smith both out-earned teammate and resident GOAT Diana Taurasi in 2020 by nearly $100,000. No doubt, this WNBA veteran is a superstar. Bueckers has endorsement deals with Crocs, Nerf, Bose, Gatorade, and StockX. 1- Liz Cambage; The Highest Paid WNBA Player Liz Cambage plays in the Las Vegas Aces and is 29 years old. Enmanuel, who was born with no left arm, is from the Dominican Republic and attends Northwestern State University. He amassed 1.6 million Instagram followers, and 2.7 million TikTok followers, much from his high school basketball highlight videos going viral.